Rhysb

Well what a weekend! Porthleven's debut is over and I have to say after all the panic, last minute scenic work and worrying it wasn't going to work I am now extremely pleased and happy with what I have achieved. Big thanks to Ian & Paul for their efforts and glad they enjoyed operating the layout. Having two experienced people with show layouts was vital. It went up pretty quickly, operated well, was reliable on its first run and the snag list is only minor items and finally it was pretty easy and quick to take apart. The Uhlenbrock DCC command station was the only let down as it does not like anything fitted with an ESU v5 chip onwards! Luckily the Exford fleet stepped in. Will sort out most of the snag list over the coming weeks and the winter will be dedicated to weathering the new stock and the harbour area and buildings. A few pics of the layout working: 37671 is on military duties bringing in some equipment to be run round and taken into RNAS Culdrose: The Hornby CDA's served us well but will be replaced with the stunning Cavalex versions for the next show: Loading of a few cargowaggons in the dry: Thank you to all in person and on social media etc who gave some great feedback on the layout and hopefully with some more work I can bring the layout on further. Rhys

Bill, Thanks for your kind words. Hopefully the layout will be invited to a show in its inspired home further west at some point. The layout is 20ft x 2ft. It is made up of 4 boards (5ft x 2ft). It was always designed to be that long but pretty much up until its debut at Taunton it was not always photographed fully together so may have looked smaller. The layout is based in the mid/late Spring so as to have the gorse in flower (bush and ground thistle types) alongside other spring flowers to have dots of colour. I may be a month or so out but imagined a dry late spring so the grass is also slightly lighter. Thanks Rhys

Thank you. Hopefully this winter I can get the harbour done for some shows next year.

So almost there! Tonight will be the final push on the scenery. It wont be anywhere near finished for Taunton but I am now in a position where I am a little bit proud about what I have achieved. Thursday will be loading it into the Disco and then off to Taunton Friday! The area around the engine house is nearing completion and the gorse has been added to the cliff top: A bit more done on the Linhay end: Finally some more detailed gorse, flowers and saplings etc added to the rock cutting: Getting there! Thanks Rhys

Incredible work! As M&S would say... There is weathered Duff's and then there is James Makin weathered Duff's! Rhys

Well this time next week the layout should hopefully be setup at Taunton! Will be very much WIP but happy where it’s going! Thanks Rhys

Well with little over a month until Porthleven makes it’s debut at the Taunton Railex show I have a lot to do! However I have got to a good place in that the China clay linhay is pretty much complete and this board is nearing completion Now back to the other boards! Rhys

I visited Exford last night and Ian has really done a great job! Really captures the atmosphere. Rhys

Some really good atmosphere being built. Looks good Rhys

OOOHHH, better start planning my one! 🙂

Excellent modelling, looks fantastic. A great little scene and a good place to watch trains. Rhys

Painting of the concrete effect onto the card done. Happy with the outcome: Added some initial china clay weathering as well as starting some ballasting: Really happy with the overall effect: Thanks Rhys

Bit more progress on the linhay. Namely the concrete hardstanding out the front. I based this on the below at Treviscoe which again the linhay is inspired from: Built up using layers of varnished card: Next onto a bit of painting then hopefully start to bed this area in. Thanks Rhys

Well outside of a couple of bits of track (I ran out) the second helix is complete... the complete loop edges ever closer! My maths is obviously not that bad as the 1.5 degree slope on the outer up line meets the upper deck perfectly! Now the final connections! Thanks Rhys

Again with the big layout, apologies for the lack of updates. Been working on the join from the lower and upper boards. Now that is done the greenery etc can begin! The layout will be making its debut at the Taunton show in October so its full steam ahead on the layout. While it looks a long way off most of the buildings, trackwork, wiring etc is all done so its all about the greenery. Was testing the track before ballast hits it. While the layout is set in 1992/93 I can run modern day stuff as well so decided to take a few pics while testing: Thanks Rhys

Not many updates on here but a huge amount of work has been going on behind the scenes. Just wanted to drop an update on the second helix. Well under way with only a couple of loops to go. Once this is done the fiddle yard and the west end of the Avonbury part of the layout will be connected giving me a full loop. This is a DCC train Automation kit and is brilliantly easy to setup. I specified the 4th and 5th radius curves to make the gradient softer. DCC train automation also laser mark the track guide onto the track bed to make the laying of the track really easy. One thing I would suggest is use Hornby track R621 on the non-standard bits as this is really flexible and the track is easy to feed through the chairs meaning you can offset the joins. Thanks Rhys

Brilliant work on the duff Ian, PS you can never go too scruffy lol

Well I have “endeavoured” to improve one of my 59’s. Taking some of Ian’s (Temeraire) and Richard’s (Everard Junction) ideas to make 59001. Last thing I added as per the real thing was the bell! Thanks Rhys

Added a bit of black paint to the fascia just to give it a good seal before the plaster etc gets built up. Unsure if it will stay black or maybe move to brown but we will see when the scenery is more prominent. Thanks Rhys

Rich, I have the EM1 only in my 59’s wired straight to the v5 chip and really happy with the sound. Particularly in my railway room which due to its size can make things appear quiet when they are turned up max! I’m using the roads and rails sound: Hope your well Rhys

Im amazed at how just a quick addition of some fascia to the peninsula has really brought the layout on! Now to add some shaper sheet, lay the inside track round the curve and then spray the track prior to ballasting!

James, Aerosols (paints) have a 10 year shelf life from production, most if not all manufacturers put the production date on the can (normally on the bottom or the neck of the can) for example: P2219 will be "production week 22 of 2019". A lot of people moan about varnish/sealers turning milky or chalky or white in colour. The only things that cause this are nothing to do with the paint or can. Its because the surface/paint/substrate your spraying it on is still wet or not fully cured or the humidity/damp/water content in the air is too high. I know you leave your models a month between major coats of paint/varnish which is probably why you get no reactions! Just a bit of advise ;-) Rhys

Good Monday Morning to you all, After rain stopped play on the golf course this weekend I locked myself away in the train room with many cups of tea (and mince pies... the wife was using up the mincemeat!) and decided to implement some plans that myself and PaulRHB came up with before Christmas. This involved the branch line on the peninsula (Cornwall) as it had always bugged me. Not near finished but some progress below: Enjoy Thanks Rhys

Well a little update after a long time! Managed to get a bit done as I had to use some holiday up before the end of the year with work. Firstly one job I wanted to do and after taking some advice from Ian (Temeraire) I wanted to update the east end of Lostwithlea yard. This was always a bit of a compromise as it encompassed the old Leaford yard. I had done this with a trap point and loco space for running round but decided to change it for a headhsunt to allow longer trains into the yard: Secondly I wanted to just try and move the Lostwithlea station vignette scene on a bit as during the next few months I would like to get the Lostwithlea area finished to a point to move onto the rest of the Cornish peninsula. So out came the foam and shaper sheet: I had made up a few trees and bushes with various materials and also some ground foams, mats, etc etc and started to build up the foliage: And some final shots, really feel this has that cornish feel to it now: Road surface and gardens of the cottages to do next. Have a happy new year and see you soon. Also my latest update video and running session is below: Thanks Rhys

ARC colours are spot on. And I like to think I know a little about colours 🙂